Roots
by NightFlame1
Summary: An AU of The Professional. One of my favorite movies. 1st FanFic, so play nice. Here is Chapter 2
1. Escape

The Professional: Roots  
  
DISCLAIMER: The only thing I own connected with this is the movie, which I bought for 9.99 at Wal-Mart. Everything else is Mr. Besson's, and more power to him.  
  
A NOTE: By all means, please review. Keep in mind, anyone who can't resist flaming will be hunted down and will have a rabid wombat inserted into their trousers. Serious.  
  
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Almost there Leon thought, as he stumbled through the lobby. Escape was just a few feet away.  
Leon felt terrible. Almost every part of him hurt. The bullets, the debris from the explosion, it was almost too much. But Leon kept going. Soon he'd be with Mathilda, at Tony's. He just had to keep going. Almost there. A few more steps.  
The sound behind him. It was a familiar sound, one that Leon had heard a hundred times over in his life. It was a hammer being cocked back. Leon reacted without thinking. He crouched down to one knee, simultaneously spinning around and drawing his automatic. A gun went off, a heavy gun by the sound of it. Leon had a brief glimpse of a light suit, rumpled and expensive. Still on instinct, he thrust the gun into the suit and pulled the trigger twice.  
The man fell back, to the ground. His heavy gun fell out of his hands, as he no longer had the strength to hold onto it. Leon stood up, breathing heavy. It had been a long day. He cautiously approached the shot man, keeping the gun up and aimed at the forehead. He noticed that his hand was shaking a little. Not much, but it was something to worry about later.  
The man on the floor was smiling. Smiling. His eyes had the glazed over, yet still excited look of a man who is high, and doesn't want to come down. His face was unkempt, his breathing uneven. Leon glanced down at his front, knowing what he would see. The blood was already beginning to spread. This man didn't have very long. He coughed once, sending blood flying from his mouth.  
"Norman Stansfield?" Leon asked.  
The man on the floor coughed again, his eyes suddenly focused on Leon.  
"This," Leon said, cocking the automatic and sighting it on Norman's forehead, "is from Mathilda"  
  
Tony glanced at the girl in his restaurant. She was sitting at one of the tables, back against the wall, just like Leon always did. She was already picking up on his habits. What the hell? Tony thought She's only 12, for Christ's sake! Tony shook his head and poured himself a shot of bourbon.  
"Hey kid! You want anything?"  
"A glass of milk." Tony stopped again, and then poured a glass of milk. Shaking his head, he brought both glasses to the table, and sat back down. The kid looked up at him, with pain-filled eyes.  
"Where's Leon?" Just hearing the question, the hurt that was inside it, made Tony pause, and throw back the drink before answering.  
"Look, kid. I got a scanner in the back of my store here. I've been listening in. Anything that involves so many cops had to be important, huh? Anyway, they just said that it was over."  
"He's dead?"  
"There are still too many bodies to identify, but it looks that way kid. I'm. I'm sorry."  
"But they didn't find his body?" Now the eyes were excited, hopeful. Tony looked down into his empty glass, decided to end this now.  
"No, but they will kid. Now listen, and listen good. Leon's dead! You hear me, he's dead. He ain't coming back all right! So just let it go."  
The girl cried then, buried her head in her arms. Tony felt bad, felt like shit. It had to be done. If she'd kept on hoping, it would have been worse. He softened his tone.  
"Look kid, you think I ain't hurtin too? I loved that guy. I practically raised him. But we both gotta move on now, you and me. We just gotta accept that Leon's."  
"Right here."  
"Leon!" The girl's head shot up. There, in the doorway, was a bruised and bleeding Leon. HE was in a SWAT uniform, Tony noticed, but he was alive. Tony stood as Mathilda ran into Leon's arms, and watched the two hug each other as if neither would ever let go. He swallowed hard, and turned towards the bar.  
"I'll just get some milk." 


	2. One Last Job

Tony sat back down at the table. Leon was seated across from him, slumped in his chair. The glass of milk sat in front of him, untouched. His eyes were unfocused, staring into nothing. Tony glanced to his right, to see the girl had fallen asleep in her chair. The plant was unwrapped, sitting on the table next to her. She looks terrible Tony thought.  
"All right, Leon. What the hell happened?"  
Leon started, as if waking up.  
"The police. They came to the apartment. I had to clean them all."  
"Jesus wept, Leon! All of them?!"  
"Yes."  
"Leon" Tony started. He stopped. "Leon, what have you been doing? I mean the thing with the Chinks, the police, you not bein' here for days, and above all, what's with the girl?"  
"Her family was killed. I helped her. I had a job, and I took care of it." It was said in Leon's style, quiet and to the point. He didn't look up.  
"So what? What now? You want to get out of the country? You might want too, considering. everything."  
"No. I stay here, in America." He looked like he was trying to say something difficult. "Tony, I want."  
"Yeah?"  
A deep breath. "I want to stop."  
"I don't follow you, Leon." He did, but Tony did not want to think about what Leon was saying.  
"I want to stop cleaning." Still not meeting Tony's eyes, Leon took a measured sip of the milk.  
Well shit. That's torn it Tony thought.  
"You want to stop cleaning? Let me get this straight. You want to quit? Just stop. Aressto, just like that? Mary, madre del dio!" When Tony got upset, Leon knew, he lapsed back into Italian.  
"Si."  
"Well, that's just fucking great, Leon! You're gonna leave me here, with my ass in a sling, because you want out?"  
"What do you mean..."  
"The Chinks, Leon. You cleaned some important bosses, guys in the Triad. Serious shit, you know what I mean? They ain't just gonna let you go, after what you did. They are gonna be coming for you. And for me. Especially for me, because no one even fucking knows you exist! So if you leave, you let me die! It may not happen right away, but it will happen. Those Chinks can hold grudges forever. They can fuck up your life, your family, your karma, all that crazy shit. I got kids, for Christ's sake, you numb fuck!"  
All during Tony's outburst, Leon had kept silent, kept his eyes down. Now, he looked up at Tony. In those eyes, Tony saw depths that hadn't been there before. He'd always known Leon was a little slow upstairs, but now, he was someone else. He was someone smart, someone with a future.  
Leon didn't say anything, he just looked at Tony. Tony shook his head and threw back his drink.  
"All right, I'm done. It's just... you're leaving me in a hell of a spot here, you know?"  
"I know. I'm sorry. Is there anything..."  
"Yeah, there is one thing. Do one last job."  
Hurt flashed in Leon's eyes. His hands tightened on the milk glass.  
"What?"  
"You heard me. Do one last job. Get rid of the Triad boss here in Little Italy, and do it quick and quiet. You do that, I'll find a place for you. What is it you want to do anyway?"  
Leon glanced over at the sleeping Mathilda, and the plant.  
"I want to be a gardener."  
"A gardener. Ok, I got a place for you. A rooftop conservatory. You know the kind, all glass, with plants everywhere?"  
Leon nodded. In his eyes, Tony now saw hope.  
"Just... do this last job for me. Please."  
Leon stared back into his glass. With the motions of a man who had made up his mind, he downed the rest of the milk and nodded.  
"I'll do it."  
Tony let out a breath he hadn't known he had been holding.  
"All right. Stay here, I'll go get the files." He got up to leave, leaving Leon to contemplate his empty glass. 


End file.
